Through a Forcefield, Darkly
by Alice Ariell
Summary: The Struckers thought that they would be okay if they could just get their father back. They didn't realize that by saving him, they would be putting their lives in even more danger. They're exposed, and now there is no going back...
1. Chapter 1

He looks down upon the patient before him. An unimpressive mutant with gills. A fish in a very large pond. He would be finished analyzing this creature by night's end. In fact, he would probably have enough time to read the dossier on the Strucker children. They had eluded Sentinal Services again, only adding to their value in his mind.

Joshua enters the room with haste. "Dr. Campbell? Agent Turner is on the line. He said the matter was urgent."

"I thought Agent Turner wasn't interested in working with me. Hmm." A smile hints at the edges of his lips. He removes his gloves and walks to the phone nearest him.

"This Campbell?" a low voice grumbles.

"Agent, hello. Have you thought about my offer?"

"Yes." The quick admission was followed by silence. Consent.

"What changed your mind? I'm fascinated."

"The mutants I'm hunting…they're smart. They helped Strucker and Dane escape our convoy. They can do things I didn't know were possible. I need your help to catch them."

"Tell me about them. All of them."

"We know that Dane can control magnetism. Blood analysis revealed what we assumed. She's the daughter of Magneto and Mystique. I figured you'd like to know that."

Campbell clears his throat. "Yes. That is...interesting. Tell me, is she strong?"

"She crushed a door, forcing it open while wearing one of your little collars. She was incapacitated after, but I've never seen a mutant hurt a fly while wearing one of those things. I'd say she's dangerous. And she wouldn't tell me anything, even after I threatened her with worse than death. She's loyal to her people. Strucker, on the other hand, is a man you can negotiate with. At least I thought he was."

"Really?"

"He was a good prosecutor, but he'll do anything for his family. He's completely turned against the law and is working with the Resistance. Son of a bitch."

"How did they escape, exactly?"

"On the way to a secure facility, a tire blew out."

"Convenient."

"No. It was the mutants. Probably those kids. A camera has them on the roof of a building across the street. Girl is yelling at her brother and then all of a sudden they turn around and the tire explodes. Pretty remarkable considering we had Pulse with us. Their distance surpassed his bandwidth."

"They're already realizing the value of combining their powers."

"Yeah. It's a problem. So how are you going to help me take care of it?"

"It would have been easier if you still had those prisoners, but no matter. Send me a file on every mutant in the Resistance, and I will help you catch them."

"Done."

"And one more thing. When the Mutants are caught, I want access to them. All of them."

"I'm not sure I can arrange that."

"Put in the request. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised by the result," Dr. Campbell says, before clicking the receiver.

The next morning, Turner arrives at the lab with the requested files.

"Is this everything?"

"Everything we know about the mutant underground."

The file is rather slim—a disappointment.

Joshua spends the morning analyzing the fine details, then brings Campbell the highlights. "I think you'll be pleased, doctor. These mutants are a fascinating group. Their powers are impressive. Combined, they could rival the X-Men."

Campbell is pleased. It has been so long since a true challenge has come his way. "Tell me."

"Well, one of them, they call her Blink, has the power to create portals which teleport herself and others great distances. She was being held by Sentinal Services, but was able to escape using her gifts. If we had her, imagine how quickly we could round them all up?" Joshua muses.

Campbell nods, but his focus is elsewhere. "What does the file say about the Struckers?"

"It looks like the son, Andy, is the one responsible for the destruction at the school. Witnesses say that Lauren was dancing with her boyfriend when things started to fall apart. She ran into the fray and appears to have the ability to create force fields which helped her survive the collapse."

"A useful talent. And now I know how we'll find them."

Lauren loosens her ponytail, letting thick blonde curls pour over her shoulders. She wants to put on a new outfit this morning, but all she has is the same shabby shirt and jeans that she ran away in. Maybe she'll ask Polaris if she can borrow something. Not that she would want to bother her, now that she was with her boo, Marco… "Whatever," she mutters, heading downstairs.

In the kitchen, Andy gives her a wary gaze.

"What is it?"

"Just don't turn on the t.v., okay?"

"Umm, I wasn't planning on it. Why?"

His eyes widen even more. "No, no reason. Just, it won't help, that's all."

"Why are you being so weird?" she grabs the remote and turns on the t.v. Then she understands.

" _Did you know that your girlfriend had mutant abilities?_ " the interviewer asks.

Jack shakes his head sadly. "Of course not, but that doesn't change the way I feel about her."

"She was involved in the destruction of a school, and now she's implicated in the escape of two known terrorists."

His shoulders slump. "I don't know about all that, but I do know that she's a good person. She'll do the right thing."

"The right thing would have been turning herself in. That's what you do when you've broken the law."

"Jack," she whispers, remembering the last time she saw him, when they were slow dancing. They hadn't even gotten a chance to kiss…

"Lauren, if you're out there, I want you to know that I…I love you. Please, just do what they say…."

The screen goes black. "That's enough of that," her father says angrily.

"Dad, I was watching that," she snaps back, brushing away tears.

"To what end? They are using him to get to you, and I won't allow you to be sucked into that."

"It's a little too late," she storms out of the room. She needs air, some space, a chance to breathe and recover from the revelation that Jack just professed his _love_ for her on national television. She needs to find a phone. Now.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean, Jack was being interviewed?" Kate asks, shocked.

Reed takes a deep breath. "He was talking about Lauren."

"Oh my God…" Kate rakes her fingers through her hair. "Why are they doing this to her?"

"To draw her out. Listen sweetheart, I know this is frustrating, but Lauren would never be stupid enough to fall for that." His expression isn't as convincing as his words.

"Our daughter isn't stupid, but she _loves him,_ Reed! He's her first boyfriend for Heaven's sake! What if she decides she needs to see him again? I need to talk to her _now."_ Kate races through the Safe house, but Lauren is nowhere to be seen. "Lauren!"

A hooded figure walks against the current in the bustling city street. To everyone beside her on the sidewalk, she looks like just another kid, trying to get out of the rain. She dips into a coffee shop and is immediately warmed and welcomed inside by the smell of freshly ground beans.

She makes her way to the register, where she orders a small hot chocolate, paying in crumpled bills. "Hey, can I possibly use the phone? My cell is dead and I was supposed to meet up with my parents in an hour."

The young cashier shrugs her shoulders and points to the phone behind the register. "Dial 9 before the area code, 'kay?" she says before beginning to help another customer.

Lauren smiles at her in thanks, then heads over to the phone. She dials Jack's number. After two rings, he picks up.

"Hello?"

"Jack, it's me," she whispers.

"Lauren? Oh my God, are you okay?" He is sitting in a gray van, sandwiched between two officers.

"Yes, I am. Jack—"

"Did you see me on the news?"

"Yes, Jack—"

"Where are you?"

"I can't tell you that. Just, please, the next time someone asks you about me, I need you to lie, okay?"

"What?"

"Please Jack, just listen to me. I heard you. I love you too, okay? Which means that I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt."

" _Keep her on the line_ ," Turner writes on a notepad.

"We've nearly triangulated her location," one of his men confirms.

"Lauren, I—I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Her stomach begins to turn. She shouldn't be here…

"They're coming." Turner gives Jack the look of death. He lifts his arm up as if to strike, but comes back to himself and lowers his hand. Goddamn stupid kid.

"We've got her, sir."

"Well then, let's go!" Turner shouts. He and his men are only a few short minutes away from her location.

Lauren slams the phone on the receiver and races out of the coffee shop through the side entrance. She can already hear the blare of the sirens coming closer.

"No!" she cries, in a fit of panic. She begins climbing the fire escape, pulling herself up with the speed that terror affords. Her hands turn brown with rust as she makes her way to the roof. She is almost at the top when she hears the first gun shot. The bullets miss her and she swings herself up and over the ledge and onto the roof. Police begin climbing the ladder, closing in on her. In a few short minutes three agents are pointing guns at her on the roof.

"Lauren! Put your hands up!" the one in the middle shouts at her. She's been moving closer and closer to the edge. She can see the city beneath her now. All it would take is one step and all this would be over…

"Do not move! I repeat, put your hands up and do not move one inch!"

Lauren smiles. She puts her hands up. Then she creates a forcefield to block the men just long enough for her to do what she needs to. One jump is all it takes.

"She's my _sister_! I'm going after her!" Andy shouts at his parents.

" _Andy!_ I am your mother! Listen to me!" she grabs at his shoulders, finally causing him to turn around.

"Mom, just stop it! She's the one being stupid this time, and I have to help her, okay?" tears and brimming in his eyes.

Kate has been crying for twenty minutes straight. She strokes the face of her son and clings to his gaze. What if she never sees Lauren again? Her baby girl…Her hands shake as she runs them over his shirt sleeves. "I know you want to help. So do I. But we don't know where she is. Our best guess is that she's walking into a trap. We have to be smart about this."

Reed manages to block the doorway. "We're going to find your sister before they do. Help us think. Where would she go if she was trying to meet up with Jack?"

Andy sighs and then shrugs. "I don't think Lauren would be stupid enough to try and see him. She knows how bad it is for us, and that he's probably being followed. She'd probably try and call him, warn him to stay away. That's what I would do if I…if I had a girlfriend."

The parents nod. "That's a good point," Kate agrees, "Lauren wouldn't want him to get hurt. So where would she go that she thought might be safe to use a phone?"

They all look at each other. Then Reed's eyes narrow as he understands. "The coffee shop. It's only a few minutes from here. We have to assume that Sentinal Services wired Jack's phone. We have to act now." He turns to Marcos and Polaris, who have been listening to the argument from the hallway. "Will you help us?"

Polaris steps forward first. "I was thinking of grabbing a coffee anyway," she says, looking bored. "But the kid stays here. I won't have his blood on my new manicure."

"I'm coming with you," Andy protests, but Marco puts a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You're too emotional right now. Your sister needs a family to come home to. Help your parents while we're gone," he suggests warmly before shutting the door behind him.

As they close in on the coffee shop, Polaris puts on a pair of Armani sunglasses. Eclipse fills the street with beautiful, blinding light.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lauren always thought that jumping off of a building would be scary. She thought it was suicide, which is never the answer. Funny how things change on you.

When she leapt off of the roof, she felt gravity take her. It was almost like being kissed. Butterflies. Wind in your hair. Something close to God. A Goddess.

What am I? she wonders as she creates a forcefield of energy to catch her fall. She lands like a child in a bouncy castle, five feet off the ground. She stands, getting ready to gently jump off. Which is when the police turn the corner and she is face to face with Agent Turner and his men. She falls to the Earth with a thud.

#

Eclipse is the only one who can see through his lightfield. When he sees the S.S close in on an alleyway, he can take a fairly good guess at who they are seeing on the other side. Terrorizing a teenage girl? He had them seeing stars. Well, they saw _him_ , anyway.

Polaris plucks the guns from their grips with one little flick of her palms.

Then, a SWAT team pulls up behind them. They're asking for it now…

Pulse jumps out of the back of the truck. He looks gray, really sick. Suddenly, she can't feel her powers. "No, not again," she whispers, beginning to tremble.

His light fades. Eclipse stares at his hands, at Polaris. He can't lose her again. Not like this.

"We have to take him out," she reminds him.

Eclipse runs at Pulse, knocking him to the ground. Then two agents shoot him with tazers.

"Marcos!" Polaris cries.

"No!" Lauren screams, seeing her new friends in danger. "Stop it! Take me, just leave them alone!"

"Lauren!" Polaris screams in warning.

Agent Tucker actually chuckles at this. "I'm sorry Lauren, you're _all_ coming with us. Sorry we had to use your little boyfriend, but you know, he's a hero now, so maybe that will bring you some comfort."

"He's a hero because he turned me in? Or is he a victim because you forced him to betray someone he cares about? Don't fool yourself Agent Tucker, you're not a good person. If you were, you wouldn't hunt down innocent men, women, and children."

"Right and wrong always depends on which side you're on," Tucker warns her.

"That's what all the bad guys say." Then she smiles at him. "But you're wrong. We're not all coming with you. In fact, none of us are. Because I figured something out." She pushes energy at her adversaries, a forcefield that engulfs them, forces the air from their lungs and holds them like sharks in net. She moves through matter as though gravity is under her command. She glides over her enemies and meets her friends on the other side.

"Let's go!" Polaris shouts, shocked and exhilarated over Lauren's power.

They run towards the van, but Marcos knows it won't be enough to get away. He pulls out his phone and dials Thunderbird.

"Hey man, you need backup?" he asks.

"I need Blink. Is she with you?"

He looks at Blink and smiles. "Yes, she's right here."

"That's weird," she mutters, "Why would he just assume…" He hands her the phone, shrugging, "Hello?"

"I'm sorry to ask you again so soon, but we need an escape hatch."

She isn't ready to open up another portal. She needs time to recover…

"Yes, okay," she answers nervously. How can she say no? "Where are you?"

"We're between Fourth and Phoenix!"

"Okay, I'll need a few seconds."

They wait, and as the seconds tick by, the agents come back into view. The forcefield has broken.

'Come on, come on," Marcos whispers, holding tightly to Lorna's hand.

More sirens blare. Several military vans are fast approaching.

They look all around them for the portal, but nothing appears. Exasperated, Lauren tilts her head back to the heavens, which is when she sees the portal open above their heads.

"This is it!" Agent Turner shouts. "Put your hands up, or we will shoot to kill!"

Polaris takes Lauren in one hand and Eclipse in the other, and the three float up towards their escape hatch in the sky.

"Shoot them. Make it count," Tucker tells his team.

Polaris pushes Lauren through the forcefield, pulling her in as well. Marcos is right behind them when a gun shot picks him out of the sky. She sees the the gold band of light race over him. F*ing tazers. "No!" She is about to dive back in, but Thunderbird grabs her arm.

"Lorna! Think about this. If you dive back in there you fall into their hands again!"

"Let go of me, John! This isn't going to happen. I won't let them have him!"

Lauren is being squeezed on both sides by her parents, apologizing and trying to explain when she realizes what is happening behind her. The portal is closing and Marcos is on the other side. She looks closer and can see him being dragged away. She looks back at her parents. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She dives through the closing mouth of the portal just as Lorna breaks free of John's grip.

The portal closes, leaving the Strucker parents staring helplessly at the hole in the room where their daughter once stood. Kate collapses to the ground, face in hands. Reed slowly bends down, stroking her back. "We'll get her back," he whispers, almost growling.

Thunderbird punches through the wall. "I should have gone with them!"

Blink sighs. "You had to fortify the Safe House. I'm the one who needs to work on calming down long enough to keep the portal open."

"Well now we need to fix this. Can you open another portal?"

"I'll try." She begins again, though another round of teleportation is making her feel like vomiting. She shakes her head violently and forces herself to continue.

On the other side of the portal, Lauren creates a forcefield blocking the agents. "This won't hold forever!" she reminds Lorna, who is lifting Marcos' head and and trying to rouse him to his feet.

"I can't move," he manages to say, convulsing.

The forcefield collapses as Pulse steps forward, the rest of the agents following close behind, guns raised.

 _If Andy was here, he would destroy them,_ Lauren thinks angrily.

Agent Turner steps forward. He attempts to shoot a taser at Lorna, but she blocks it with her mind and it bounces back and electrocutes an agent. Oops.

Pulse steps closer and suddenly Polaris and Lauren are left vulnerable. "Put your hands behind your head," he commands, removing a collar from his belt and reaching towards Polaris.

"Back off of me with that thing or I will kill you with my bare hands," she hisses.

Agent Weeks shoots the three of them with a dart gun. They collapse to the ground, unconscious. "Sir, suspects are secured."

Once the prisoners are secured in the van, Tucker calls Campbell. "What the hell is in that dart gun you gave us?" He needs decent weapons like that, and a lot of them.

"Ah, you were able to use it. Good. The darts contain a very strong sedative and power suppressor, something I was able to develop with the help of your Agent 'Pulse'."

"Worked like a charm. We were able to recapture Lorna Dane, Marcos Diaz, and Lauren Strucker."

"So you see the importance of my research. I am dedicated to developing weaponized technology in the hopes of ending this Mutant Conflict."

Tucker swallows and nods his head. "I see the value in it. But that doesn't change the fact that I will be sending these suspects to prison."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I spoke to your superior, Commander Fischer. You've been rerouted to my facility. We'll be doing a more thorough examination of the prisoners before any kind of sentencing will take place."

"That's against the law, doctor."

"New laws are being written, agent. I'm just doing my part to help protect this great country from those with the power to destroy it." Campbell hangs up on Tucker with a satisfying _click_.

Tucker turns to his driver. "We're headed to Sentinal Services, correct?" he asks, half smiling.

The driver shakes his head. "We've been rerouted, sir, to a secure facility. Those are my orders."

"Goddamn it," Tucker curses under his breath.


End file.
